Message from the Chief Executive Deb Willcox
Winter has arrived, which means flu season is well and truly upon us. I would like to thank the more than 70 per cent of category A+ staff who have rolled up their sleeves to receive their annual influenza injection. Not only does this protect all of you, but protects our patients. Our staff health team have done an incredible job facilitating this immunisation program, especially at time when COVID-19 vaccination has needed our uttmost attention. On behalf of the district and our official fundraising partner the NORTH Foundation, I am also excited to launch a new grants program for staff working across our hospitals and services – the NSLHD and NORTH Foundation Grants Program. This is a new joint initiative designed to provide access to untied donations for philanthropic purposes. It gives us an opportunity to show our gratitude to the community for their support and demonstrate how impactful their donations are for supporting our healthcare services and medical research. Expressions of Interest will be open until midnight on the 18 July. Visit the NORTH Foundation website for more information and to apply. On Wednesday 9 June, we celebrated What Matters to You Day across our hospitals and services, an opportunity to listen and understand what matters to patients, consumers, carers and families within the larger context of their own lives. It is an opportunity to hear about the things that would improve their experience and outcomes, for example asking what would make their visit to hospital easier, what is their top concern today, and what does a good day look like. We are always looking
to improve the patient experience, and days like these tell us how we can do that. We also are currently undertaking the very important Patient Safety Culture Survey – with your feedback helping to keep our patients safe, while also improving the experience of our staff. Teams with 100 per cent or very high completion rates will be entered into a draw for the chance to win one of 11 $1000 cash prizes. The prize can be used by your team to purchase something that will benefit each of you. Thank you to the 25 per cent of you who have completed the survey so far. To ensure everyone gets a chance to share their views, we have extended the end date until 22 June. If you have not already, please click here to complete the survey as soon as possible. Finally, this month we bid farewell to NSLHD Deputy Board Chair Adjunct Associate Professor Annette Schmiede. Annette joined the board when it was first established in 2011 and has reached the statutory maximum 10 years of service. Annette has seen and contributed to an enormous amount of change. She has been much more than a board member, she has been an advocate and provided counsel to myself and members of the executive. Annette’s true love of the health system and the needs of our patients pervaded all she has done for us.
Deb Willcox Chief Executive Northern Sydney Local Health District
NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 11 | 15 JUNE 2021
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